


Perfectly Practical

by ArielAquarial



Series: Family of Three [16]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Alternate Universe, Castiel is Claire Novak's Parent, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Fluff, Kid Claire Novak, M/M, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-03 01:10:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19453285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArielAquarial/pseuds/ArielAquarial
Summary: Claire has expressed interest in getting a cat. Cas is originally all for it, at least until Dean informs him that he’s allergic to cats. In fact, Dean isn’t a fan of pets at all. Small or large, furry or scaly, wings or fins, he just doesn’t see the point…they don’t DO anything.





	Perfectly Practical

**Author's Note:**

> AN: When did I write so many installments to this verse? Crazy! I’m glad everyone has been responding positively!

_ Three weeks earlier… _

“Dean.” Cas sat on the couch next to him, his face serious enough that Dean paused the show he had been watching and gave Cas his full attention. “We need to talk.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Cas, babe…I love you, but you gotta stop saying that. I  _ swear _ we’ve talked about this before.”

He frowned. “Saying what?”

“That…” he waved his hand around in an attempt to find the words. “‘ _ We gotta talk’ _ thing you always say. Normally, that means you’re gonna break up with someone.”

He tilted his head the way Dean absolutely loved. “But you know that I’m not going to break up with you.”

“Well, yeah…” he assured his boyfriend. “Of course, but it still gets me a bit sometimes. It’s like a reflex. There’s always a split second of panic, ya know?”

“Then I will strike it from my vocabulary.” He assured him, but Dean very much doubted Cas was actually going to stop using that line. It was just such a  _ Cas _ thing to say. “But we do need to have a serious talk.”

“Gotcha.” He clasped his hands in front of him and gave Cas an encouraging smile. “Go for it. Is everything ok?”

“Oh yes, everything is fine.” He put his hand on Deans knee and gave it a gentle and reassuring squeeze. “This is about Claire.”

“Ok…”

“She has expressed interest in getting a cat, and I want to know your feelings on the matter.”

Dean immediately tensed up. “Uh…a cat?”

“Yes.”

“Like, a cat with fur?”

Cas squinted. “Yes, although I suppose I can see the confusion.”

He laughed awkwardly. “Uh…”

“Please, let me know what is on your mind. You look distressed.” Cas’s and gave Dean’s knee another reassuring squeeze.

“Well, I love that girl, but…” he rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. “But I’m going to have to say no to the cat. I’m actually allergic to cats. Very allergic. The disgusting kind of allergic. Swollen eyes, runny nose, hives…”

“Oh.”

“Oh?” he repeated, his chest clenching in nervousness. Was Cas going to get mad? Was Dean going to break Claire’s heart? He’d do it if he had to. He’d take allergy pills every day for that girl…but that didn’t mean he wanted to.

“I didn’t know that.”

Dean laughed awkwardly. “Well, I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize. This is why I wanted to talk to you. You live here too, and I wasn’t going to go and add to our family without talking to you about it first.”

Deans absolutely didn’t want to examine the way his heart fluttered when Cas mentioned expanding the family. “Well, I still feel bad. I’m not exactly a pet person in general. Dogs…cats…don't really want em. Sammy tried to get a dog once. Took one in right off the street, but it didn’t work out. The monster shit everywhere and then bit me. Only lasted a week until we saw the missing dog poster the owner put up. You bet your ass I called that number right away.”

Cas considered that for a moment. “And I’m not really a dog person either, so you won’t need to worry about that. How do you feel about small animals?”

His heart started beating faster. “What, like hamsters? I don’t do rodents, man…I got bit by a friends pet hamster when I was 11...”

“Is this a pattern for you?”

Dean glared at him. “Are you making fun of me right now? Really, babe?”

Cas smiled at that. “Of course now. Being bit by animals isn’t something to laugh at.”

“Well, yeah.” He grumbled, still annoyed at Cas. “No small furry things.”

“I was thinking a fish, maybe?”

Dean shrugged. “I guess, but wouldn’t she just get bored with that? I mean, fish are cool and all, but they don’t exactly do much. She’d want something she can touch. Ya can’t exactly pet a fish.”

“That is true.” He tapped his lip as he thought for a moment. “I had a bird when I was young, but they are a bit too high maintenance for me.”

“They shit everywhere.” He added. “And scream. And bite. All the time.”

Cas smiled. “Yes. The biting issue.”

Dean pouted. “Babe…”

“This is more difficult than I thought. She’s old enough to get a pet, I think, and the responsibility would be good for her.”

“I agree.” He hedged. “But we’d be the ones taking care of it. I just don’t think having a pet is very practical.” With a sigh, he decided to let it all out. “I’m just not much of a pet person, ya know? They’re just not…”

“Practical…” Cas repeated with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah. A guard dog? Practical. A cat? Not so much.”

“So you want some kind of working animal? Something we could give a job of some sort?”

“I guess?” he questioned, unsure of what he wanted. “If we were on a farm or something, I’d say yes to a dog. Maybe even a goat or something for the milk. But we can’t exactly have farm animals around here.”

“Actually, our neighborhood is zoned for that. There used to be a dairy a few blocks away, as a matter of fact.”

That surprised him. “Really?”

“Yes. Claire and I used to walk down and buy chocolate milk. It’s a shame they’ve moved. We may be in the city, but all of this used to be farmland. I could technically have a cow in my backyard. Or a goat.” he cracked a small smile. “We don’t have the room for one, obviously.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. “Oh.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll not be getting Claire a pet cow.”

Dean sighed in relief. “Thank god. You had me going for a second, there.”

Cas hummed in amusement. “Let me get this right. To you, it’s a matter of practicality?”

Dean shrugged. “I guess.”

“So if we got a more ‘practical’ animal, it would be fine?”

He shrugged again. “Sure. Why not? As long as Claire could help take care of it, I’m ok with whatever.”

“Hm. This is something I’ll have to think on, then…”

Dean chuckled. “Sure, man. If you can think of a practical pet, then go for it.”

“Go for it?” he questioned.

“Yeah. Go for it.” He shrugged, his mind already wandering to another topic. “ _ If _ you can think of one, then just get it.”

“Really?”

“Sure.”

_ One week ago… _

Dean woke to the sound of their bedroom door creaking open and the sight of a messy head of blond hair poking through the crack. “Daddy? Daddy Dee?”

He groaned and cleared his throat. “Go back to bed, Claire. Your light isn’t on, is it?”

She looked down at her feet sadly. “No…but I want to cuddle.”

He didn’t have any sympathy for her before 8 am on a weekend. “We can cuddle when your light turns green.”

She sighed, grumbled out a “Fine,” and shut the door.

Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was barely past 7 am. With a groan, he rolled over and shifted until he was spooning Cas, sure that he wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep but unwilling to actually get out of bed. He had a long drive ahead of him, after all, so he had to at least  _ try _ and rest some more. Bobby was getting too old to take the quarterly drive to his salvage yard in South Dakota, so the responsibility had fallen to Dean. After Bobby retired, he’d be leaving his businesses for Dean to manage, so it only made sense that Dean would start taking on more responsibility. It was just too bad that he’d be gone for nearly a week. The whole trip would take a matter of days if he flew, but there was no way he was stepping foot in a giant metal death trap, so he’d be biting the bullet and driving all the way to the salvage yard from their home in California.

With the fact that Dean would be gone for almost a week floating through his head, Dean decided to focus his attention on Cas. If he was lucky, he’d be able to convince Cas that a pre-road trip quickie was a good idea. Cas was far from a morning person and absolutely refused to be coherent before 8 am, so trying for sex before then was always a risk. If he went slow, got Cas used to his touch, and ensured that Cas was horny before he was fully awake, then Cas was much more likely to be receptive to Deans touch. Come on too strong, and he’d lose all chance to give Cas a proper goodbye and Cas would be annoyed with him all day.

He reached around and began stroking Cas’s sides and lower stomach, letting the man get used to Deans hands on his body. Cas let out a small noise, little more than a groan, and settled back into his deep breathing. With no more movements or sounds coming from Cas, Dean inched lower until he reached the waistband of Cas’s sleep pants. It was there that he paused and shifted closer to press the hardening line of his dick against the crease of Cas’s ass. Still asleep, the man merely shifted and then stilled. With a smile and a kiss to the skin of his neck, he trailed his fingers just under the waistband, toying with the trail of coarse hair that led the way to his prize.

“Dean…” Cas muttered in his sleep, his voice hoarse and breathy.

Dean paused his ministrations, ready to back off if Cas showed any sign of annoyance, but he was already back to breathing deeply in his sleep. He dipped his fingers even lower, barely brushing over the base of Cas’s cock before gripping it loosely. After a moment, he inched up and went for Cas’s ear. Scraping his teeth gently across the ridge of Cas’s ear was always a sure-fire way to get Cas’s engine revving, so he bit lightly along Cas’s cartilage and sucked gently on his ear lobe.

The man twitched and let out a deep sigh, but remained sleeping.

“Cas,” Dean muttered into his ear and finished off the breathy whisper with a lick. “Wake up.”

Definitely not a morning person, Cas let out a groan and shifted away.

“Baby…” Dean muttered and followed him, pushing his dick back into the comfort of Cas’s muscular ass. His fingers began a slow teasing stroke, barely touching his cock but still giving a preview of what could be happening soon if Cas just woke the hell up.

While the cock slowly began to stiffen under his attention, the man himself remained unresponsive.  _ Typical _ , Dean thought. It was always hard to get Cas to do anything in the morning without his coffee, sex included.

He tightened his grip and gave a few pulls to the thickening length. Finally, Cas seemed to sense that something was going on, and groaned. He rolled to his stomach, away from Dean, and moaned into his pillow. With the temptation of Cas’s clothed ass now right in front of him, he shifted his attention to slipping the waistband of Cas’s sleep pants over the swell of muscle.  _ That _ seemed to get Cas’s attention.

“Dean?” Cas asked, a little bit of awareness seeping into his voice. His head rose from the pillow and sleepy eyes met Deans.

“Good morning, baby.” Dean circled his hips against Cas’s side. “I need you.”

Cas let out another groan, this one very different from his sleepy complaints at being groped. “Time?”

“7:15.” He answered. “We got time, baby.”

“Not enough time for that…” Cas muttered. With a sigh, he rolled over so he could face Dean. “You should have woken me up earlier if you wanted to fuck me.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Any earlier and you would have been mad at me. No way I woulda been able to get any after that.”

Cas smiled at him and gripped Deans ass, pulling until they were pushed flush together. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m always pleasant in the mornings.”

He paused to savor the feeling of Cas’s hard cock against his own. “Whatever you say, Cas.”

Cas just shrugged. “You just have to take the chance, Dean. This morning I would have been willing. I’m not going to be seeing you for a whole  _ week, _ I would have jumped at the opportunity for you to fuck me one last time. _ ” _

“Damn. You mean I coulda had this ass?” He gripped Cas’s cheeks tightly and squeezed.

Cas huffed out a laugh, but it soon turned into a groan when Dean pulled their hips even closer together. “Take off your clothes.”

Dean didn’t have to be told twice. In moments, he had slipped off his shirt and boxers, leaving himself completely naked and very hard. He stroked himself and leered at Cas as the man sat down and pushed his boxers down thick thighs. “Slower, baby. Give me a show.”

Cas snorted at the man's suggestion, then pushed his the rest of the way down his legs. “If you wanted a show, you would have woken me earlier.”

Dean ignored him and crawled over to where Cas was sitting on the edge of the bed, guiding him back to the middle. He climbed on top of Cas and pressed himself flush to his slightly shorter frame. The feel of skin on skin was a relief to Dean. Smiling, he brought Cas in for a tender kiss. The man obliged and gripped Dean around the waist, using his blunt nails to scrape up Deans bare side. His whole body erupted in shivers at the feeling, and Cas’s took advantage of Deans pleasured gasp by deepening the kiss. Tongue against tongue, they kissed almost lazily. It only took a few minutes before the building pressure in Dean’s groin began to override the enjoyment of the kiss.

He planted his knees on either side of Cas’s thighs and pulled out of the kiss into a seated position. From his vantage point, he could see Cas’s flushed face, messy hair, and the cock straining for release. Unable to make a decision about what he wanted to do to the man, he settled for gripping Cas’s sharp hip bones. “Want me to suck you off? We can take turns.”

Cas reached down and squeezed both of their cocks between his fist. “Not enough time.”

“Fuck.” Dean hissed at the slow slide of Cas’s calloused hand. “You sure? I could be quick…”

Cas tightened his grip and arched a brow. “Quick? Sounds sexy.”

He hissed in pleasure. “Uh…wanna- Fuck! Right there!- wanna sixty-nine?”

The hand around his dick paused. “Yeah. We could do that. You need to keep it down, though.”

Dean huffed. “I’m not that loud.”

Cas cocked an eyebrow at him.

Before Dean could argue, he was being bucked off of Cas. He landed in a breathless heap and was immediately treated to a view of Cas’s dick in his face as the man got into position. The cock was at a perfect angle to slip right down his throat, and boy did he want to let it do just that. He let his knees part in anticipation and licked his lips before taking the length into his mouth.

The taste and smell of Cas’s filled his brain, and he couldn’t help the moan that left his mouth. He loved the slightly bitter flavor of Cas’s precum on his tongue and the smell of Cas’s sweat and body wash.

Cas let out a breath, not unlike a sigh, and dropped his head to rest on Deans open thigh. He stayed there for a moment, enjoying the slow, lazy way Dean was sucking at his cock and savoring the moment. A minute later, he snapped out of it, finally remembering that he had a task to do. Cas guided Dean into his mouth and gave the head a hard and sudden suck. Hard enough that Dean almost choked on the involuntary gasp that left his mouth. Dean fisted the bottom half of Cas’s length and contented himself with licking and sucking on Cas’s tip while enjoying the feeling of Cas’s talented mouth on him and the strong hand gently caressing his balls. Saliva pooled in his mouth, and he had to swallow it down before he could give Cas’s dick the attention it deserved. He nudged the head to the back of his throat and pressed his tongue into the vein, pulling off with a hard suck and firm pressure. Cas moaned in appreciation, the vibration going straight to Dean’s balls.

In the back of his mind, Dean knew they were on a time crunch, so it was best not to hold back- especially with Cas. The man had more stamina than Dean and could last so long that Deans ass would be sore for  _ days _ . Not that he was complaining…it wasn’t exactly the worst trait a man could have in bed. Too much stamina was heaps better than coming too quickly. So…when he  _ did _ get Cas to come fast? Well, Dean could probably get off on that alone.

He reached up and grasped at Cas’s ass, taking hold of each cheek roughly and pulling him in. With one smooth thrust, Cas’s cock was seated in Dean’s throat. It was all the permission he needed to begin fucking Dean’s throat slow and gentle. Dean didn’t deepthroat often since getting your throat fucked hurt like a bitch, but he made an exception for Cas. His eyes were watering, his throat was burning at the intrusion, and he had to time his breaths with each of Cas’s thrusts, but he trusted that Cas wouldn’t get carried away. But god..the low groans and increasingly hard pulls to Deans dick were  _ so _ worth it. Cas  _ really  _ knew how to show appreciation.

Barely keeping it together through the feeling of Cas tugging at his balls almost painfully, and whatever magic Cas was doing with his tongue, Dean was hurtling to the edge almost embarrassingly quickly. In a moment of desperation, Dean pressed his dry thumb against Cas’s hole and applied just a bit of pressure. The cock in his mouth twitched and thickened with a surge of blood, and Cas let off of Dean dick to hiss out a “Fuck. Harder, Dean.”

Dean obliged and applied more pressure, not even trying to slip in. The burning pressure of a dry finger was enough to throw off Cas’s rhythm and quicken his pace. Dean had to pull back, sure that Cas was getting to the point that deepthroating would no longer be a good idea. The moans and groans were traveling up and down Dean’s dick, and spurring him on to press harder, to fuck up into Cas’s mouth quicker. The only thing holding him back from chasing his orgasm was the firm pressure of Cas pressing down on his hip.

The buildup was becoming too much for him, and he knew that he’d blow any minute. He tapped Cas’s thigh, signaling to Cas that he needed a moment. Once his mouth was free, he gasped for breath and let out a groan. “Almost there, Cas. Not gonna last.”

He let Cas’s cock back in and continued the quick slide of his mouth on Cas’s dick. The only acknowledgment he got from Cas was a tightening of his hand around Dean’s balls and a swirl of his tongue. And fuck it- he’s done. He popped Cas’s dick out of his mouth and panted heavily into the crease of Cas’s thigh as the pressure built and then released in an explosion of sparks. He could barely keep quiet, and it was only a matter of habit that kept him from yelling out as he emptied into Cas’s mouth. Cas swallowed, slowing down, but not stopping the bob of his head as he worked every single drop out of Deans dick. Unable to form words past the panting, Cas only stopped when Dean slapped him on the thigh.

He could do nothing but lay there in the aftermath of his orgasm and utter a faint complaint as Cas climbed off of his twitching body. With slitted eyes, Dean watched Cas stroke his wet cock over Deans body. He knew what was coming, and he did nothing to stop Cas from emptying all over him. Warm globs of come landed on his stomach and hips as Cas came in spurt after spurt. When he was finally done, he let out a deep breath and sat back on his heels to admire his work.

“That’s a good look on you.” He informed Dean breathlessly.

Dean mumbled a reply, but even he couldn’t decipher the words that came out of his mouth. His brain left on the road trip early, and it wasn’t coming back online for a while.

Cas, though, seemed to be more alert than ever. Unlike Dean, the sex apparently  _ invigorated _ him. “Wheres the towel?”

Dean shrugged, or at least he thought he did, and mumbled again.

“You didn’t grab one?” he guessed with an eye roll.

Dean shrugged again.

Cas sighed. “Don’t move.”

“Ok.” As if he could if he wanted to…

Cas’s annoyed grumble could be heard over the opening and closing the bathroom cabinet. “If you get any semen on the sheets, you’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

“You’re killin my afterglow, dude…”

“Just don’t move.” Cas reminded him.

“Hey! You didn’t have to come all over me…” Dean stretched out carefully, making sure that the cum pooled between the dip of his hips wouldn’t drip onto the bed. With another glance at the clock, he groaned. Claire would come back in ten minutes, and they’d have to be dressed and presentable before then. Sometimes he missed the days where he could laze in bed all day, naked and in the arms of a partner, but those days were long gone.

Cas came back with a damp hand towel and cleaned Deans stomach off before tossing the towel into their laundry basket. Knowing that nothing could tempt Dean into getting up for a few more minutes, Cas didn’t even bother trying. Instead, he went to the dresser and began pulling out clothes for both of them. “Like I said: it’s a good look on you.”

“I don’t know how you can even walk, Cas. I want to go back to sleep.” He rolled onto his side and let his eyes close. “Can you call Bobby and let him know I can't go?”

“Sure. I’ll just tell him I sucked the motivation out of your dick.”

Dean chuckled and stretched again, letting his back pop. “I’m sure he’ll love that.”

A bundle of fabric hit him square in the back. “Get dressed. I can already hear Claire playing in her room. She’ll be here in a few minutes.”

He rolled over and pulled the clothes out from under his back. “Shit. I still have to pack.”

Cas was already pulling on his clothing, a blue t-shirt and his yard working jeans. “Don’t look at me for sympathy. I told you to pack last night.”

He pouted. “Yeah, but I don’t have to leave until 10. I have plenty of time.”

“Then you won't be needing any help.”

Dean stood to get dressed. “I just hope that I don’t leave too late. It would throw off the whole driving schedule.”

“I see right through you, Dean. You’re just trying to get me to help you pack. I already told you I won't.” Cas bent down to pull on his socks. “I’ll buy you a plane ticket if I need to, but I refused to help you pack after I warned you last night. You told me it would be fine.”

“You’re evil…” he mumbled but stood up so he could pull on his pants. “Fine. But I’m not going to have time to make breakfast.”

“Boxed pancakes it is, then.”

Fully dressed, they left the room and went into the kitchen. Cas immediately pulled the box of pancake mix down from the cupboard and got started on breakfast, and Dean went straight to the pantry and grabbed any snacks they had so he could take them with him on his road trip. The drive up would take him roughly sixteen hours, so he’d be traveling about ten before stopping at a hotel for the night, and then driving the last few hours in. He planned on getting some work done as soon as he got in, work the entire next two days, and then taking two days to get back. If all went well, he’d be back home around 2 pm on the sixth day. He didn’t want to spend any more time away from his little family that wasn’t completely necessary.

Claire wandered into the kitchen and crossed her arms in annoyance. “You weren’t in da room for cuddles.”

“I’m sorry, baby. Come here.” He held out his hands for her to climb into his arms. “I can still cuddle with you in here, can’t I?”

She struggled as Dean squeezed her into his chest. “I want da bed cuddles!”

Cas turned to them, mixing bowl and whisk in hand. “Dean’s going to be leaving soon, remember? We can’t stay in bed all morning.”

She stopped struggling and immediately wrapped her little arms around Dean. “I don’t want you to go!”

“Oh no…” Dean mumbled and guided her face into his shoulder so he could hug her even closer. “I’m gonna miss you too, sweetie.”

Cas started pouring the batter into the pan. “Claire…we talked about this, remember? He’s only going to be hone for a week, and then we’ll go out for dinner as soon as he gets back.”

“The chicken finger restaurant?” she asked, her lip stuck out in a pout.

“Of course, Claire. We’ll go to our favorite diner.” He turned back to the pan, spatula in hand. “We can even watch a movie if you want to.”

“Yay!” she cheered, already forgetting about the prospect of Dean leaving.

“Why don’t you help me get ready? I’d love some help packing!” he set her on the floor and began leading her out of the kitchen. “You can even let me take one of your toys so I can play with it if I miss you.”

“Das a good idea!” she enthused. “I’ll give you my lego doggy!”

She ran off to her room, leaving Dean in the hallway. He just shook his head and resolved to pack alone.

_ Three days ago… _

It wasn’t strange for Cas not to pick up his phone. He was a busy man, after all, and often forgot to take his phone off silent after work. So when Cas didn’t pick up his phone after the second time he called, he gave up and called Charlie instead. Cas would call back as soon as he noticed the missed calls, after all.

“What’s up, bitch?” She yelled into her phone, barely intelligible over the sound of a machine whirring in the background.

“Hey.” He replied with a smile. “What are you up to?”

“I’m, uh…” she paused and the sound suddenly cut off, allowing her to speak at a more normal volume. “I’m working on a project with Cas.”

“Oh. You’re with him? I tried calling him, but he wouldn’t pick up.”

“Yeah, sorry. We’re pretty busy over here.” She let out a nervous laugh. “Want to talk to him?”

“Sure. In a bit.” He told her, suspicion rising in his chest. He was not liking the tone of her voice. There was nothing that put him on edge more than her ‘I’m not up to anything’ tone. Last time that happened, she had to disappear for a month. “What are you two up to?”

“Project.” She answered.

“More clothes?” he asked, unsure why she would avoid telling him about something like that. It was her job, after all. Besides, he was used to it. Cas started projects all of the time, and he never really cared as long as it didn’t cut into family time.

“Um…no. I’m doing a commission right now.”

“For Cas?”

“Yeah!” she let out a sigh. “I’m working on something for Cas.”

“And he’s helping?”

“Yeah! We’re working on it together. It's, uh…mutually beneficial.”

Dean wracked his brain for an upcoming event, something that would warrant another project. “Is this for Pirate Invasion? I thought he wasn’t going to go. He called it a farb fest. I don’t know what that means, but I didn’t think it was good.”

“No. It's not for that.” She assured him. “And farb stands for ‘far be it from accurate’. It just means that it’s going to be more Jack Sparrow pirate instead of accurate pirate. Boobs and ass instead of class. ”

“Ok, I get it.” He interjects before she could continue with her explanation. “Well, what is it? Is he finally doing that sea chest? He’s been talking about that for months.”

“No. It’s a different project.”

“Uh huh…” he frowned. “Well, then. Should I let you back to it?”

“Didn’t you want to talk to Cas and Claire? I’ll get them for you, they’re just-” She paused for a moment. “Wait. Sam just got here, I have to go.”

“Sam?” he questioned. “But I want to talk-”

“Crap. I need to help him carry that.” She mumbled. “I’ll call you later!” CLICK.

Dean pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a moment. That had been strange. Very strange.

He was finally able to get ahold of Cas later that night, but he was so happy that he was able to talk to his boyfriend that he forgot all about his conversation with Charlie.

_ Present day… _

Dean pulled into the garage an hour ahead of schedule, absolutely itching to go inside and give Cas and Claire a big hug. The trip had been hard on him, both the drive and the being away from everyone for so long. He hadn’t taken a road trip that long since he settled in California along with his brother more than ten years ago, so his back was sore, his shoulders were stiff, and his ass was a little numb. With a sense of accomplishment, he used the remote to close the automatic garage door and took a moment to sigh in relief. He was home. Thank god.

Leaving his things in the car, he pocketed his keys and opened the door that led into the kitchen. Cas was at the sink washing a few cups and plates that were probably leftover from breakfast. The man turned to him, his eyes lighting up in happiness when he saw it was Dean in the doorway. Not hesitating for a moment, he marched right up to Cas and pulled the man into a tight hug.

God, he missed the way he smelled. Like the books he shut himself in his office with, and the flowers he seemed to always be tending. Having Cas in his arms, and finally being able to breathe in his scent made him grateful that he had the bright idea to leave early that morning. Dean drew back to give Cas a kiss but pulled away at the strange feeling.

“What the fuck is that on your face?” Dean grabbed his cheeks and ran his thumbs over the hair Cas had grown on his face. “I was gone for a week, and you grew this? That’s insane, Cas.”

He smiled shyly. “My facial hair has always grown quickly. I have a 5 o’clock shadow by noon on most days.”

Dean finally pulled him into a hug. “I could get used to it.” He muttered into Cas’s neck, inhaling deeply and letting his breath out in a pleased sigh.

Cas squeezed him back and didn’t let go. “Then I’ll keep it.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, this time catching an odd scent. “Did you just mow the lawn or something?”

“No, but I have been doing some yard work.”

“Huh. Ok then.” Dean shrugged it off. “God, I missed you…” he whispered into Cas’s hair.

“I’m glad you’re back.” Cas pulled away and looked him in the eyes. “I missed you too.”

Dean just smiled like an idiot and pulled him into a brief kiss. “Wheres the little monkey? I’m a little surprised that she hasn’t come running.”

“Playing in the backyard.”

With a nod, he went to the fridge to get himself a cup of water. He had been running on exclusively coffee and energy drinks since he woke up, and he was dying for a glass of ice water. “What did you two get up to while I was gone?”

“Nothing exciting, I assure you. A lot of work.”

“I’m sure whatever you did was more exciting than my week.” He gulped down the water and filled the glass once more. “I always forget how much of an asshole Rufus is until I’m stuck with him for a few days. At least he knows how to manage a business.”

“Rufus is one of Bobby’s oldest friends, isn’t he?” Cas asked.

Dean joined him at the sink and started drying a few of the cups. “Yeah. He’s practically my uncle. On the bright side, we did go fishing. Haven't been fishing in a while.”

“I think Claire would like that.”

He perked up immediately. “We  _ need _ to take Claire fishing this summer. We can rent a little boat and everything.”

Cas smiled. “I think that’s a great idea. I’m not teaching any classes this summer, so we can plan it around your schedule.”

“I forgot about that!” He put the last cup in the cupboard and leaned against the fridge so he could watch Cas shelve the plates. “It’ll be nice having you home the whole time.”

“I’ll be getting a lot done this summer, I guarantee it.”

When Cas’s hands were free, Dean grabbed his hand. “Come on, let’s go force Claire to play with me.”

Cas chuckled. “I don’t think it will take much force, although I should warn you-”

Whatever Cas was going to say was interrupted by a childish shriek of joy and the flapping of wings.

He froze, unsure of what he was hearing. “What was that?”

“Claire.” He replied easily.

“No the…” he paused, straining his ears. “Didn’t you hear that?”

Cas frowned. “What?”

Beginning to worry, he turned and pulled open the curtain over the sink.

He stared at the backyard in disbelief for a few seconds before closing the curtain and walking over to the sliding door that led to the back deck.

Dean whirled on Cas. “You grew your beard to distract me!”

With furrowed eyebrows, Cas regarded him for a moment. “The stubble was just a byproduct of my busy week.”

He flapped his hands angrily. “I can’t believe you were using your sex appeal to distract me from the fact that you bought  _ chickens. _ ”

“Do you not like them?”

“Do I-” He let a long breath out of his nose and counted to three. He pointed his finger threateningly at Cas. “I’m coming back for you.”

“Daddy Dee!” Claire screamed as soon as he opened the door and stepped onto the deck. “You're back!”

He smiled and picked her up so he could press a wet kiss onto her chubby cheek. “I missed you.”

“Did you see da chickens?” She asked excitedly and dragged him over to the coop that hadn’t been there a week ago. “Look at all da chickens!”

He forced a smile. “Yeah…those are chickens, all right.”

“Are you mad?” Cas asked from the doorway.

Dean grit his teeth and strained to keep the smile.“A little warning would have been nice.”

“You said to go for it.” Cas reminded him. “I took your word at face value. I’ve been planning this for a while, Dean, and assumed you’d be ok with it.”

Dean closed his eyes and lot out another breath. “I would have liked a warning, Cas. I didn’t expect to come home to this.”

“I was afraid you’d change your mind.” He admitted sheepishly.

He wasn’t willing to admit that’s exactly what he would have done. “Well, it's done.” He took a moment to observe the coop. “You and Charlie do this all by yourselves?”

“Yes. She was extremely helpful.” He wrapped his arm around Deans shoulder and turned him to face the coop. “Cut myself a few times on the chicken wire, but I think it turned out well.”

With a sigh, Dean took a closer look at the coop. It  _ did  _ look good. The coop looked sturdy and well ventilated, the slanted roof was well tiled, it was tall enough that you didn’t have to crouch when you went inside to clean, and there were little doors you could open to access the eggs. The fenced in area was large, almost half the backyard, and they’d have plenty of room to roam- or whatever chickens did in their spare time. “You guys did good.”

Cas’s smile was bright. “Thank you.”

“But…” he began, giving Cas a look of curiosity. “I gotta ask. Chickens? They’re not exactly pet material.”

“On the contrary, Dean. They’re quite affectionate, especially with Claire.” He started dragging Dean closer to the coop so he could get a better look at the chickens. “Claire named all of them. We have Jet.” He pointed to a black chicken. “Rosco.” He pointed to another black chicken, identical to the first. “Chili.” He pointed to a white chicken.”Charlie.” A brown speckled chicken. “Sammy.” A little brown one. “And Sally.” Another brown one.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck. “Right. Are they all girls? Rosco and Jet aren’t exactly girl names.”

Cas chuckled. “I tried to explain that they were all female, but only Sally was granted a female name.”

Dean shrugged as if to say ‘What can you do?’. “Wait. Do we have a rooster? I’m not going to be woken up at the ass crack of dawn because-”

Cas gave him a gentle shove, quieting his nervous rant. “No. We’re not going to be woken up early. You don’t need a rooster to get the eggs.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He confirmed.

“Oh.” He replied, suddenly feeling a lot better about the whole thing. “And have you gotten any eggs yet?”

“They are too young.”

“Great.” He grumped. “Well, how much longer?”

Cas shrugged. “Well, these are rehomed chickens. The family who originally bought them hadn’t prepared for the amount of work they’d be, so I can’t guarantee what they told me is correct. They’re  _ supposed  _ to be about twelve weeks. My research told me they don’t begin laying until around twenty weeks.”

“That’s a long time to wait for some eggs.”

“It will be worth it, don’t you think? We have eggs nearly every day. They will pay for themselves soon enough. Sam and Charlie are pitching in with some work and helping fund the food.”

Dean sighed and surveyed the backyard. “You know I love you, right?”

Cas smiled and put his arm around Dean’s shoulders. “Yes. And I love you too.”

_ A month and a half later… _

“Oh my god, Cas.” He gestured to the freshly cracked egg. “Look at that yolk. It's fucking beautiful.”

Cas leaned forward and peered into the pan. “It’s much darker than the store bought ones…”

“I’m in love with those damn chickens. I’ll be giving Chili a good cuddle after breakfast. She did fucking fantastic. See this?” He gestured to the egg again. “This is why my girl is the alpha. She’s the best.”

Dean had taken a shining to one chicken in particular, and it came as a surprise to everyone. Chili, the white Silkie, could always be found in Deans arms. Her white feathers were constantly somewhere on his body, his hair, the back of his shirt, or wherever she was pecking at, and Cas always got a kick out of their close relationship. When they were allowed supervised backyard time, mostly for the benefit of Cas’s flower garden, Chili would always flap her wings and run to Dean. If he didn’t immediately sit down and let her settle into his lap, she would peck at his feet nonstop until he did. Sometimes, and it annoyed Cas to no end, her feathers could be found on the couch. There were a very strict no chickens in the house rule, and he knew Dean was breaking it…but he was never caught him and Dean never admitted to letting her into the house.

To Dean, Chili and the beautiful eggs they were now getting were worth the constant manure shoveling, the daily feeding, and all the money they were pouring into the coop.

“Of course, Dean. Chili is a wonderful chicken.”

“Damn right.” He confirmed. “That’s what happens when a chicken eats what its supposed to.” He swirled the pan, letting the butter crisp up the edges of the egg. “They like bugs and weeds. My girl even ate a frog yesterday. She’s a born killer. Ya hear that, Claire? Chickens eat bugs, just like you.”

“Hey!” She yelled in offense. “I don’t eat bugs!”

“You do. I saw you eating bugs with Rosco and Sammy the other day.” He pointed at her with a smile. “You guys were pecking around in the garden all day.”

“Daddy Dee!” She whined. “I don’t eat bugs..”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe it was daddy I saw eating bugs in the garden, then.”

“It was,” Cas confirmed and slid a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon her way. “And if you don’t eat your breakfast, I’ll eat you too.”

Dean ate his sunny side up eggs quickly and went into the backyard to do a final check for eggs and make sure their water was clean and full. Sam and Charlie would be coming by later that day to pick up some of the eggs, and he planned on leaving the shit shoveling and hay cleaning to them. They wanted to help, after all, so he left the hardest tasks to them.

That, in Deans opinion, was the biggest perk to the whole chicken business. Besides Chili, of course.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment if you can! I always love to hear what you think!


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